PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Does Eli Manning’s exclusion from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility mean it’s going to tough for Steelers Ben Roethlisberger to get in the Hall in 2027?
Let’s be really clear, no sane person would come to that conclusion. Just look at Roethlisberger’s numbers alone, then compare them to Eli
· Two-time Super Bowl champion--same
· 5th in career passing yards (64,088)—Manning 11th (57,023)
· 8th career passing TDs (418)—Manning 11th (366)
· 21st passer rating 93.5—Manning 66th (84.1)
· 23rd interceptions (211)—Manning 12th (244)
· 5th QB wins (166)—Manning 14th (117)
There are others in the 2027 class who should be first-ballot players
· RB Adrian Peterson-NFL’s 5th all-time leading rusher
· TE Rob Gronkowski-3rd in career touchdowns (92) by a tight end
A couple of players who are very intriguing in Roethlisberger’s first year eligible
· OT Andrew Whitworth-gaining a lot of traction with broadcast career, Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, 239 games, 3 time All-Pro
· C Alex Mack—196 games—played every game in 11 of 13 seasons, 7-time Pro Bowler
· CB Richard Sherman-5-time All-Pro and twice in top 5 of voting for Defensive Player of the year, retired at age 33 with 37 interceptions, 58 passes defended
· WR Antonio Brown-if the committee just looks at his dominance for six years, he would be a Hall of Famer, but everything else that goes with AB likely keeps him out.
Next year Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten, Frank Gore seem to be locks. You would think Philip Rivers would be selected even without a championship. Can’t imagine a world where Rivers is a first-ballot HOF with Brees and Roethlisberger not getting in the next year.
The holdovers potentially in 2027 include Greg Olsen-seventh in NFL history in receptions by a tight end (742). Others waiting could include Manning, linebackers Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, kicker Adam Vinatieri and maybe a couple passed over for years (Torry Holt, Steve Smith, Willie Anderson, Reggie Wayne, Marshal Yanda). Could you imagine Hines Ward finally getting a gold jacket the same year as Roethlisberger?
Even with all of those potential names, when you consider only seven quarterbacks in the history of the game have thrown more touchdowns than the Steelers great. Forget what the voters thought about Eli Manning (even with an incredible amount of publicity), Ben Roethlisberger is a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection.